Understanding Philadelphia water bills and reducing stormwater charges just got easier.
The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) has revamped its Parcel Viewer web application. It includes features that may help businesses, schools, nonprofits, and faith-based organizations save money.
Residential properties in Philadelphia pay a monthly, flat rate. Currently, that rate is $15.53. The Parcel Viewer won’t help residential customers reduce stormwater charges. But the mobile-friendly application is an easy way for anyone to look up their Water Account Number. To find any stormwater parcel in the City, just enter the street address in the Parcel Viewer’s search field.
However, if you own a non-residential property, you should take advantage of the apps’ data-powered tools:
Review your stormwater charge calculation. Your stormwater charge is based on both your property’s:
- Total area (Gross Area Charge), and
- The size of surfaces that don’t soak up rainwater (Impervious Area Charge).
The Parcel Viewer lists these two separately, allowing you to check if calculations are correct.
You should review your parcel and file an appeal if you find an error. Filing an appeal is easy from the Parcel Viewer’s homepage, or a link on the bottom left of your property’s detailed view.
Find what stormwater credits you’re missing. You may be able to reduce your monthly stormwater charge by managing stormwater on your property, and taking advantage of one or more types of credits.
The Parcel Viewer provides information and resources to apply for the available credits. The app lists credits already applied to your property.
As of 2018, more than 160 non-residential properties in Philadelphia have taken advantage of stormwater improvement funds. If your property isn’t part of that list, the Parcel Viewer can help get things started.
Read PWD’s blog post for even more information about how the app helps you review and manage stormwater charges.
Photo credit: #WOCinTech Chat / Flickr
